Means and method for making hair pieces



United States Patent [72] Inventor Victor A. Reeves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [21] Appl. No. 704,486

[22] Filed Feb. 9, 1968 [45] Patented Aug. 25, 1970 [73] Assignee Premi-Hair, Inc.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a corporation of Pennsylvania [54] MEANS AND METHOD FOR MAKING HAIR PIECES 16 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 132/5 [51] Int. Cl A-tlg 5/00 [50] Field ofSearch..... 132/5, 53. 56

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.450.259 4/1923 Nessler .1 132/5 3.162.203 12/1964 Cramer 132/53 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,301,935 7/1962 France 132/5 Primary Examiner Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner .I. N. Eskovitz Att0rney- Paul Maleson ABSTRACT: An apparatus for making hair pieces. A plurality of magnetized strips are arranged in a frame and hold the hair between successive strips. The hair is held in a flexible plastic base. A method of making hair pieces including positioning sets of strands of hair between adjacent magnetized strips and spraying liquid plastic over short ends of the hairs extending above the strips.

iii/iii Patented Aug. 2

Sheet 1 of 3 f INVENTOR.

Y V/CTOR A. Rift/5 B ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1970 Sheet g 013 INVENTOR.

V/CTOA A. REEVES ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25,1910. v 3,525,346

' Sheet 3 0:3 I I I iill ATTORNEY MEANS AND METHOD FOR MAKING HAIR PIECES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the art of manufacturing artificial hair pieces such as toupees and wigs. It relates to the affixation of the supplied hair strands, whether artificial or natural, to a base that fits to the scalp of the user. It also relates to the steps and apparatus closely related to this affixation step.

hair at one hair or even single strands with a consequent increase in labor. Other time-saving attempts have been made. For example, US. Pat. No. 3,162,203 contemplates the clamping of a single row of aligned hairs, and the performance of certain processes on this aligned row, including individual gluing of the ends thereof to a sheet. US. Pat. No. 2,421,432

discloses the manufacture of artificial eyelashes by arranging a parallel of hairs and affixing them with a molding process.

SUMMARY The present invention contemplates a means and method for greatly facilitating the manufacture of hair pieces. It provides a means and method by which hair pieces of a high grade of appearance and utility are provided while reducing the labor and time involved in the production. A large plurality of thin elongated strips are provided and they are stacked together in a face to face relationship, resting on one of their long edges. They are held and supported in a frame. A parting substance is provided on the upper surface of the array. An outline of the hair piece is drawn thereon. Small groups of the strips are then removed and strands of hair are arranged in substantially a parallel relationship between successive adjacent strips, between the marked boundaries of the ultimate hair piece. A major portion of the hairs protrude from one side and a minor portion of the length of the hairs protrude from the other side of the strips.

The strips are ultimately all replaced in the frame with the longer portions hanging down. Various locking devices are applied to appropriately hold and seal it. The upwardly protruding portions of the hairs are trimmed to a predetermined length. A template is applied. A hair piece base of flexible skull-accomodating plastic is applied. The application takes place by successive spray applications of liquid plastic which is heat and evaporation set.

The elongated strips are of flexible magnetic plastic material and tend to mutually adhere to each other. The provision of these flexible magnetic strips is an important aspect of the invention.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for the manufacture of hair pieces.

It is another object of this invention to provide a method for the manufacture of hair pieces.

Other aims and objects of this invention are set forth in the following specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the apparatus taken from the left upper front;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a view, partially in cross-section taken along line 3- 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, partially fragmented of the top of the apparatus;

FIG. Sis a detailed plan view of the frame lock;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the elongated strips;

FIG. 8 is an elevation view showing the parting application ste FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the outline step;

FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the ends of a vertical stack of strips, showing the hair insertion step;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the refrained array of strips holding all the hair. and showing the template application step;

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the hair piece base application step;

FIG. 13 is a perspective fragmentary view of one end of alternative form of strip; and

FIG. 14 is a perspective fragmentary view of one end of another form of the elongated strip.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of the apparatus is described first. FIG. 1 best shows the general structure of the hair piece making apparatus generally designated 1. The apparatus generally comprises a cabinet section 2, which provided with a door of conventional construction 3. This door provides access to the interior of the cabinet for reasons explained below. A top 4 is provided on the apparatus 1. This top 4 is preferably of a substantial thickness of at least about one inch because it accommodates other elements as described below.

A rectangular aperture 5 is provided through the top 4 as most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. This rectangular aperture 5 is also designated as the frame.

A rectractable support rod 6 is provided at one side of the top 4 opposite frame 5, and a pair of wedging screws 7 and 8 are provided on a side of the top 4 opposite to that of the retractable support rod 6. These wedging screws 7 and 8 are also provided opposite to the frame 5. The over all disposition of the rod 6 and the screws 7 and 8 are best shown in FIGS. I and 4.

A heater combined on and off switch and timer 9 is mounted on one side of the cabinet section 2 and it controls a heating means provided inside the cabinet. The heating means is best shown in FIG. 3. It is understood that exact structure of the heating means as here described and illustrated is not in itself an essential aspect of the invention and any equivalent heating means may be provided. As shown, a heating means support 33 extends inwardly from one side of the cabinet section 2, and supports thereon an electrical resistance heating element 31 and a fan 32 whose purpose is to circulate the heated air upwardly. Both the heating element and the fan 32 are rendered operational when the timer 9 is set in any on position, and the heating is inactivated when the timer returns to its off or 0" position. The heating means is preferably positioned substantially centered beneath the frame 5.

A plurality of flexible plastic magnetic strips 11 are provided. One of these strips is shown in FIG. 7. In the preferred embodiment, each of these elongated strips 11 is approximately six inches long, approximately 3 1/4 inches wide, and approximately 3/64 inch thick. It is understood that the exact dimensions are not essential to the operability of this invention. In particular, the length of the strips may be different in different applications, particularly if it is desired to produce an apparatus adapted for the production of smaller hair pieces or of larger hair pieces, with the length of the strips increasing if a larger scaled apparatus is desired. Each strip 11 is flexible and is magnetized. A suitable such material for the strips is supplied by the B. F. Goodrich Company under the name Coro Seal. In the preferred embodiment, each large face of each strip 11 is identical. and the strips are of simple planar construction.

As is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a ledge or sill 13 is provided along one edge of the frame 5 and an identical ledge or sill 14 is provided along an opposite edge. In the preferred embodiment, these ledges l3 and 14 are provided along the long edges of the rectangular frame 5. It is best appreciated from FIG. 2, that these ledges l3 and 14 are provided near the bottom surface of the top 4 and extend inwardly a short distance into the aperture as described. The distance from the upper surface of each of ledge 13 and 14 to the upper surface of the top 4 is preferably the same as that of the width of the strips 11. Thus, as best shown in FIG, 2, a strip 11 may be placed within the frame with its ends resting respectively on ledges 13 and 14.

A plurality of the strips 11 are provided. Typically and preferably, between 120 and 130 of strips 11 are provided although it is understood that the exact number is not essential to the invention. These strips 11 are placed within the frame in successive abutting face to face relationship, with the ends thereof resting respectively on the ledges 13 and 14 as described. Together, the plurality of strips make the array of strips as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A sufficient number of strips is provided to almost fill the length of the frame 5. The array 10, together with certain locking and wedging devices as described below, do completely fill the frame 5.

The retractable support 6 comprises a rectangular crosssection support bar 15 and is provided at one thereof with a knob 20. This support rod or bar is preferably provided midway between the long sides of the frame 5. It extends through an aperture in the top 4 with knob being outside the confines of top 4. A free sliding fit through the aperture is provided. At the opposite side of frame 5, a socket or aperture is provided in top 4 to receive the end of the rod 15 when it is fully inserted. This support rod 15 provides support to hold the array of strips 10 in the frame- It may be withdrawn from its fully inserted position. As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the rod 15 is fully in its inserted position is shown in phantom lines, and it is shown in a partially retracted or withdrawn position in solid lines.

To lock the array 10 firmly within the frame, an expander or form lock generally designated 16 is provided. The structural details of this expander are best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. It is understood that a satisfactory type of expander for this purpose is the device or tool used in the printing industry for locking a frame of type. A suitable expander is here shown in an elementary form. It comprises a first bearing plate 22 and a second bearing plate 23 which is opposed thereto. The bearing plates are relatively movable to and from each other in a substantially parallel alignment. Telescoping side retainers 24 and 25 are provided to hold the assembled expander structure together. The detailed telescoping structure of these elements is not disclosed in detail because it is not at all critical to the invention, is obvious, and the function and general mode of operation of the entire expander 16 is available as an item of commerce as has been described. The functional essentials of this expander 16 are therefore explained herein.

A cam 26 is provided to selectively force the bearing plates 22 and 23 further apart. As shown in FIG. 6, the cam 26 is mounted on a cam pivot 28, which in turn is mounted for rotation on a cam pivot mount 27, attached to one of the bearing plates. The rectangular socket is provided in the top of cam 26, and the removable cam turning T 29, shown in phantom lines in FIG. 6 is provided by which means the cam 26 may be rotated and the bearing plates forced apart.

When positioned within the frame 5 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the expander or frame lock 16 may be operated as described to firmly hold the array 10 in place.

Before describing the structure and function of the wedging screws 7 and 8, the arrangement of the hair in the apparatus is described, since it explains the desirability of these wedging screws. At one point during the process, strands of hair 12 are provided between many adjacent strips 11 in the array of strips 10. Between two given strips, there is a set of approximately parallel strands of hair 12, and between other pairs of adjacent strips, there are similar sets of hair 12. The extent and arrangement of this hair is clearly shown for example in FIGS. 2 and 12. FIG. 12 shows a hair-piece shaped array of hair 35. It can be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and I2 that the sets of hair 12 do not extend to the extreme ends of the strips 11 and furthermore the extent of the sets along the length of the strips 10 varies depending on the particular pair of strips involved. Thus, it is apparent that the entire array of strips 10 with the array of hair 35 cannot be compressed as tightly along the long middle line thereof, that is, along the line of the rectangular bar 15, as it can near the ends of the strips. that is. nearer the lines of the wedging screws 7 and 8. This is because of the thickness of the hair along the center line. It is desirable to get as much of all the surfaces of all the strips 10 into as close a relationship with the adjacent strips as is possible. Therefore, the wedging screws 7 and 8 are provided.

The disposition of the wedging screws 7 and 8 is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and their general arrangement has already been described. Wedging screw 7 is provided with an external knob 21 and wedging screw 8 is provided with an external knob 17. A threaded screw shank 18 is provided on wedging screw 8, as shown in FIG. 3, and a similar threaded shank is provided on the other wedging screw. A threaded aperture is provided through part of the top 4 to receive these screws. A warping strip 19 is provided across the frame 5 and arranged so that the ends of the wedging screws 7 and 8 bear upon it. The warping strip 19 can be any deformable type of strip, and can be a metal or plastic strip. The provision of the bearing strip 19 is not essential, but is preferable since it helps distribute the pressure exerted by the wedging screws 7 and 8.

It is now apparent that when an array of strips 10 is provided including the array of hair 35, the basic locking or wedging action is accomplished by the expander 16, and the ends of the strips 11 are forced into closer mutual position by operation of the wedging screws 7 and 8.

The preferred mode of operation of the apparatus is now described. The rectangular support bar 15 is fully inserted within the frame. The entire array 10 of strips 11 is positioned as shown and described above within the frame 5 and is tamped down so that the top of array 10 is levelv The expander 16 is then operated to provide a wedging or locking action so that the array 10 is held firmly.

Referring to FIG, 8, the first preferred step is the application of a parting layer or compound on the upper surface of the strips. Preferably, this is a spray ofliquid Teflon, which is a description of a product fully identified in the literature and marketplace by that name. It is understood that this is a preferred parting layer, but the molding arts disclose many other well known parting material and methods of application thereof, which could be useable.

When the parting material 30 has dried, the outline 34 of the desired final hair piece is drawn on the upper surface of the array 10, preferably with chalk, as shown in FIG. 9.

Then, the pressure of the expander is released so that strips may be removed. A group of adjacent strips, starting at one end of the array, is removed. These are stacked with their flat sides down on a working surface, preferably on the apparatus top 4 for example. It is desired to insert hair 12 within, and only within, the area defined by the mark 34, so itis obviously not necessary to remove those strips near the end of the array 10 which do not lie at all within the mark.

The stacked strips are then separated, which is possible by easy manual manipulation. Hair 12 is placed across a strip 11, with the length of the hair running transverse to the length of the strip 1 l, and only between the chalk marks on the edge of the strip. A major portion of the hair, that is, the hair that will be visible in the completed hair piece 12a, extends from one side, and a minor portion of the hair 12, that is, the hair that will be embedded in the hair piece base, 12b, extends from the other side. The set of adjacent strips 11 that were removed from the frame, as described, are successively stacked one above the other, with the hair 12 inserted as described. This stacked arrangement is shown in FIG. 10, with the view being taken parallel to the longitudinal length of the strips 11.

The groups of strips 11, containing the hair therebetween as described, are replaced in the frame 5. It is understood that it is desirable to have hair between all adjacent strips, and it is also obvious that the actual detailed technique of placing the hairs between the adjacent strips and reinserting them in the frame may vary from operator to operator. For example, the strips can be removed only in single pairs, or on the other hand, the entire array ll can be built up including the hair before it is replaced in its entirety in the frame.

The entire array of strips is replaced in the frame now containing an array of hair 35 between the outlines. as shown in FIG. 11. It is again locked in place by operation of expander 16. It has been found preferable during the replacement steps to withdraw the rectangular support bar 15. When the entire array is replaced, with the long lengths of hair 12b handing downwardly into the aperture and interior of the cabinet section 3, the support bar 15 is positioned across the aperture. The array 10 is then again firmly leveled by tamping.

The upwardly extending short lengths of hair 12b are then trimmed to a substantially uniform length by an ordinary hair clipper. A preferred length of the short sections 12b is 25-50 mils.

A template 36, as shown in FIG. 11, is provided with an aperture 37 therein corresponding to the outline of the hair piece 34 as described. This template is preferably a flexible piece of plastic material. It is placed over the array 10 and is adhered thereto by any convenient means, such as adhesive or by tape.

The material that will make the plastic base of the hair piece is now applied. Preferably, the plastic base 38 is applied in the form of a spray, as shown in FIG. 12. It is a sprayable liquid plastic. A suitable such material is a water emulsion acrylic plastic mixed with latex rubber. This soldifies by evaporation of the water, and it is aided by the application of heat which aids the evaporation also having a heat-setting effect on the plastic materials themselves. A suitable such material is sold by Rohm and Haas Company and is known commerically as KC33. It is understood that this is a preferable material, but that a liquid material which upon sprayed or poured in a thin sheet then sets to a flexible solid material, by the operation of heat, exposure to hair or time, provides a workable material for this stage of the invention. It has been found highly preferable to use this sprayable material, for reasons set forth below, but the exact specific choice of the material is a matter of choice, and any such suitable materials are known in the literature and in the market place. The heating means is now turned on by operation of the timer 9, as has been described. The temperature is ultimately raised to preferably approximately l-l25F. by the heating means. One coat is applied to seal the top of the array 10. A series of coats are then applied, approximately 5l0 minutes between coat. The coats of sprayed plastic hair piece base are applied until the tops of the upstanding hairs 1211 are covered. It is highly preferable that the heat be applied from below, since it has been found that if heat is applied in this process from above, films form which interfere with the proper build up and complete drying.

It has been found that a drying step of up to about two hours is desirable and preferable. Then, some additional quantity of the plastic hair piece base material is poured over the surface to form a thin film and it is squeegeed to provide a smooth horizontal surface. A further complete drying is permitted by the continued operation of the heater and by continued exposure to the air. Then, the frame is unlocked, the entire hair piece and the strip are removed therefrom, and the strips are then individually removed manually from the hair. The remaining steps involving the final preparation of the hair piece are outside the scope of this invention.

There are several alternative forms that are left preferable. One of these involves the provision of shims near the ends of the strips 11 as a supplement to, or in lieu of the action of the wedging screws 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 13, an alternate form of strip 40, is provided at each end thereof with a shim 39. This shim 39 may be a simple piece of adhesive tape material; it may be for example 3040 mils thick. The complete set of all the elongated strips involve the provision of different lengths of shims on various members of the set. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, another strip 401! in the altern-ate set of strips, includes a shim 39a which extends a longer distance than does shim 39.

Referring now for example to FIG. 11, in the practice ofthis alternate form ofthe invention. the strips are arranged in array 10 so that those strips with the longer shims are located where the area of the hair array 35 is of lesser transverse dimension. This method provides for compensation for the thickness of the hair. as was described above. It has a disadvantage in that a specific or approximate order of the strips must be maintained.

In another alternative step in the practice of the invention. after the hair ends 12b have been clipped, they may be moistened with water and a permanent wave solution, and then ironed with a hot iron so that they are crimped over, to afford a better locking grip in the plastic base to which they will be affixed. It has been found that this step is not necessary for a firm grip.

There is another alternative and less desirable form of the invention in which the application ofa liquid plastic material. as described, is replaced by the use of an initially solid sheet of plastic. A sheet of thermoplastic material, such as a saturated polyester, comprising terephthalic acid and isophathalic acid, in a sheet of a thickness of about 55-60 mils may be used. Such thermoplastic material is sold for example by the Gertl Process Division of United Shoe Machine under the name Thermogrip l 194. In this alternative form, a sheet of the plastic is placed over the upstanding hairs 12b, and heat and pressure are applied in any convenient known means, as by a electrically heated flat-iron type of apparatus, to melt the plastic and have it sink around the upstanding hairs. It has been found that temperatures of between 250350F. are suitable. While this alternate method is possible, it has been found not as desirable as the preferred embodiment.

Another alternate form ofthe strips has been tried and been found to be less suitable. It involves the provision of strips having the same general description as set forth above, but to which are individually fastened metal clips extending the substantially entire length thereof, and serving to grip the strands of hair between the clip and the strip. It has been found that such a clip is not necessary to a firm grip of the hair, and also that it then requires that the thickness of the strip be varied so as to accommodate the thickness of the attached clip and still provide substantially flat surfaces for close proximity to adjacent strips.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the amking of hair pieces comprising:

a. a rectangular open frame,

b. a plurality of elongated flat flexible magnetic strips, each of said strips having a length adapted to fit across and within said frame parallel to one side thereof,

c. means to support said plurality of strips in said frame,

d. means to selectively firmly lock said plurality in said frame to substantially fill said frame.

2. An apparatus to make hair pieces as set forth in claim I wherein said apparatus includes a top and said frame is pro vided as an aperture in said top, and a heating means is provided within said apparatus below said top, said heating means being selectively operable.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means include a pair of ledges, extending inwardly into said frame from two opposite parallel sides thereof, said ledges extending only a minor distance into said frame, and said ledges being proportioned so that when any of said strips rests on one of its long edges on said ledge, the other long edge of said strip is approximately at the level of the upper surface of said apparatus top.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes an elongated support bar having a flat upper surface, said support bar being retractable and being positioned parallel to two sides of said frame and substantially at the mid-point between said two sides, and means to provide a sliding fit for said support bar around said frame.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to lock said plurality of strips in said frame include a selectively operable expander, said expander having a length substantially that of each of said plurality of said strips, said expander being positioned within said frame, parallel to the long dimension of each of said plurality of strips, and between one side of said frame, and one face of one of said plurality of strips.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to lock said plurality of strips in said frame include a pair of wedging screws, said wedging screws being positioned adjacent to said frame, parallel to a pair of parallel opposed sides of said frame, both intersecting one other side of said frame,

- one of said wedging screws being positioned between one of the said parallel sides and the mid-point between said parallel sides, and the other said wedging screws being positioned between the other of said parallel sides and the mid-point between said parallel sides.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein a warping strip is provided inside said frame and adjacent to and parallel to said side of said frame intersected by said wedging screws, the intermost ends of said wedging screws bearing on one face of said warping strip.

8. A means for holding hairs in aligned array for affixation to a hair piece base, said means comprising a plurality of elongated, flexible plastic magnetized, completely separable, thin strips, each said strip having a long dimension, each of said strips being in adjacent face to face aligned relationship with at least one other of said strips, each strip being held by mutual magnetic attraction to at least one other strip, to form an array of said strips, a plurality of strands of hair between one pair of adjacent strips to form a set of strands and a plurality of strands of hair between at least one other pair of adjacent strips to form at least one other set of strands, each of said strands in a set between a pair of adjacent strips being approximately parallel to the other strands in said set and extending transversely to the long dimension of said strips, and all sets in said array being approximately parallel to all othersets in said array.

9. A means as set forth in claim 8 wherein a major portion of each of said strands extends from one side of said array of said strips and a minor portion of each of said strands of hair extends from the other side of said array of said strips.

10. A method for making hair pieces comprising arranging a plurality of strands of hair in substantially parallel relationship between two adjacent magnetized elongated flat strips, said hairs extending only between predetermined marks on the edges of said strips, providing a similar set of said hairs on another face of another one of said strips, and holding said second set of hairs in place by positioning thereon a third elongated flexible magnetized strip, with a major portion of the length of said hairs extending from one side of said strips, and a minor portion of the length of said strands of hair extending from the other side of said strips, and affixing said minor portion into a hair piece base.

11. A method for making a hair piece, comprising:

a. arranging a plurality of thin, planar, elongated. magnetized, flexible strips in face to face relationship to form an array, and holding said array with one long edge of each of said strips uppermost;

b. drawing the outline of a desired hair piece on said upper edges of said strips;

c. providing substantially parallel strands of hair between adjacent strips, said strands of hair being positioned only within the area defined by said outline, and saidstrands of hair extending transverse to the long edge of each of said strips, a minor portion of the length of each of said strands of hair extending from one edge of each of said strips;

d. trimming said minor portions of the lengths of said strands of hair to an approximately uniform length;

e. embedding said minor portions of said strands of hair in a flexible hair piece base; and

f. removing said strips from said hair piece.

IZ A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said array of elongated strips containing said strands of hair are set in a frame, are supported therein by supporting means, and are locked into tight face to face relationship by pressure from locking means. 1

13. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein, before said outline of hair piece is marked on said edges, a parting layer is provided over said edges, and wherein before said'minor portions of said hair strands are embedded in a said'base, a template is provided over that part of said array of said strips lying outside said marked hair piece outline.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said minor portions of said hair strands are embedded in said hair piece base by applying to said minor portions a liquid settable'to a solid flexible sheet. 9 i

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said liquid is applied by successive sprayed coats of said liquid, said sprayed coats beingpermitted to solidify before a successive coat is applied. 1

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the drying of said successive coats is aided by the provision of heat froma heating means provided below said array of strips. 

